The subject matter herein relates generally to electrical connectors mounted to a panel.
Various problems exist when using panel mounted connectors. For instance, when installing electrical connectors into a mounting panel, the weight of the wire bundle and connector may cause the connector to fall out of the mounting hole. Temporary retention devices are often needed to properly install and mate the connector. A second installer may be required to place a retention device from the opposite side of the panel while the first installer holds the connector in position. Or, when mating two connectors together, the connectors without temporary retention latches may fall away from the mating part before the connectors can be hand mated or mated with a mechanical assist such as a lever. Additionally, current panel retention features typically do not have the capability to handle multiple panel thicknesses.
Other problems mounting a connector to a panel include the use of special tools (torque wrench, etc.) or a large access area for applying a locking ring or slide-clip to retain the connector to a panel. For example, existing designs utilizing side-clips have retention ribs running the entire length of the clip and connector requiring the total access area zone to be twice the size of the connector alone.
Other connector design problems are that the terminal position assurance (TPA) staging and retention latches are often unable to be directly disengaged. Additionally, the latch beam design can require very high elongation of the material properties for the hinges to flex but not break.
Current connectors also rely on the overall fit between the components of the mating connectors to stabilize the design during high vibration.